[Diagnosis of arthritis in black Africa. Apropos of 473 cases in Congo].

A cross-sectional study of arthritis was conducted in the Rheumatology Department of the Brazzaville Teaching Hospital, Congo. A total of 473 patients with arthritis seen between 1989 and 1991 were subjected to the limited tests available. Gout was the leading diagnosis (n = 83). Septic arthritis (n = 82) and infectious discitis (n = 55) were the most common reasons for admission. Tests often failed to identify the causative organism; Staphylococcus was the most commonly recovered organism. Tuberculous discitis was less common than discitis due to pyogenic bacteria. HIV-related arthritis (n = 57) usually manifested as severe, febrile, asymmetrical, nonerosive, polyarthritis. Cases of rheumatoid arthritis (n = 29) fit the classical description of the disease. In 83 patients with monoarthritis, oligoarthritis, or polyarthritis, no etiology could be identified.